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STUDY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AS A MEANS FOR MEASURING ATTITUDES OF TEACHERS TOWARD PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL

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Date Issued:
1980
Summary:
This study sought to accomplish three things: 1) to develop a model which would use semantic differential techniques to measure the intensity of teacher attitudes toward public school supervisory concepts; 2) to determine if teachers' attitudes differ significantly in the subgroups of the study's population when analysis of variance is applied to the data supplied by the model instrument; and 3) to determine which rotation, orthogonal or oblique, more closely approximates the simple structure when factor analysis is applied to the data. Analysis of the data was based on the responses of 217 public school teachers who were enrolled in graduate courses located at the University of Central Florida and Florida Atlantic University. Each subject responded to eighteen bipolar scales, evaluating seven supervisory concepts. Analysis of the data was accomplished by three computer programs, Kaiser's "Little Jiffy, Mark IV," to measure sampling adequacy, reliability, and degree of empirical confirmation of the model; analysis of variance to determine whether the subgroups were statistically significant and evaluate the relationship between the variables in the groups; and factor analysis applied to the data which incorporated two methods of rotation, orthogonal and oblique, to determine which rotation more closely approximates the simple structure. Findings: The findings may be summarized as follows: 1. Teachers' responses clustered into four principal factors, here presented in rank order of extraction--evaluation, potency, activity, and stability. The evaluation factor accounted for over 55 percent of the common variance. 2. The concept instrument, bipolar scales, and semantic differential techniques can be combined to differentiate teacher attitudes concerning specific concepts. 3. A comparison of the mean variable scores for concept instruments revealed that responses by this study's teachers rated the positions of principal, director and superintendent very low. 4. Data comparing such groups as university attending, school districts of employment, and age groups by analysis of variance techniques revealed statistical differences that were substantive when evaluating the concepts of dean, principal, director and superintendent. 5. Teaching level and male/female teacher group accounted for statistical differences that did not prove to be substantive over all concepts. 6. A comparison of the quartimax rotated factor matrix and the oblique pattern matrix revealed that clusters of variables are more clearly defined on the pattern matrix. Near zero loadings are minimized and high loadings are maximized. However, on several of the concept data runs the differences were not clearly defined. Conclusions: 1. The model developed for measuring teacher attitudes was reliable and demonstrated a high degree of empirical confirmation. 2. Supervisory job does appear to be a factor influencing teachers' attitudinal responses on the bipolar variables. 3. University of attendance, school district of employment, and age group are factors which produce significant differences in teacher attitudes. 4. Factor analysis involving either orthogonal or oblique should be selected based on the objectives of the research project. Both methods may be utilized, results compared, and the solution which provides the best answer for the study involved should be selected.
Title: A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AS A MEANS FOR MEASURING ATTITUDES OF TEACHERS TOWARD PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL.
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Name(s): WRIGHT, WILLIAM FRANCIS
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1980
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 285 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: This study sought to accomplish three things: 1) to develop a model which would use semantic differential techniques to measure the intensity of teacher attitudes toward public school supervisory concepts; 2) to determine if teachers' attitudes differ significantly in the subgroups of the study's population when analysis of variance is applied to the data supplied by the model instrument; and 3) to determine which rotation, orthogonal or oblique, more closely approximates the simple structure when factor analysis is applied to the data. Analysis of the data was based on the responses of 217 public school teachers who were enrolled in graduate courses located at the University of Central Florida and Florida Atlantic University. Each subject responded to eighteen bipolar scales, evaluating seven supervisory concepts. Analysis of the data was accomplished by three computer programs, Kaiser's "Little Jiffy, Mark IV," to measure sampling adequacy, reliability, and degree of empirical confirmation of the model; analysis of variance to determine whether the subgroups were statistically significant and evaluate the relationship between the variables in the groups; and factor analysis applied to the data which incorporated two methods of rotation, orthogonal and oblique, to determine which rotation more closely approximates the simple structure. Findings: The findings may be summarized as follows: 1. Teachers' responses clustered into four principal factors, here presented in rank order of extraction--evaluation, potency, activity, and stability. The evaluation factor accounted for over 55 percent of the common variance. 2. The concept instrument, bipolar scales, and semantic differential techniques can be combined to differentiate teacher attitudes concerning specific concepts. 3. A comparison of the mean variable scores for concept instruments revealed that responses by this study's teachers rated the positions of principal, director and superintendent very low. 4. Data comparing such groups as university attending, school districts of employment, and age groups by analysis of variance techniques revealed statistical differences that were substantive when evaluating the concepts of dean, principal, director and superintendent. 5. Teaching level and male/female teacher group accounted for statistical differences that did not prove to be substantive over all concepts. 6. A comparison of the quartimax rotated factor matrix and the oblique pattern matrix revealed that clusters of variables are more clearly defined on the pattern matrix. Near zero loadings are minimized and high loadings are maximized. However, on several of the concept data runs the differences were not clearly defined. Conclusions: 1. The model developed for measuring teacher attitudes was reliable and demonstrated a high degree of empirical confirmation. 2. Supervisory job does appear to be a factor influencing teachers' attitudinal responses on the bipolar variables. 3. University of attendance, school district of employment, and age group are factors which produce significant differences in teacher attitudes. 4. Factor analysis involving either orthogonal or oblique should be selected based on the objectives of the research project. Both methods may be utilized, results compared, and the solution which provides the best answer for the study involved should be selected.
Identifier: 11746 (digitool), FADT11746 (IID), fau:8677 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1980.
Subject(s): Teachers--Attitudes
School personnel management
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11746
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.